


Light and Dark

by GambitsGuardian (vockofalltrades)



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/M, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Nightmares, Self-Harm, Sleep Paralysis, but they were close, im still debating on if Cayde and Isa were bffs or a couple
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23131693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vockofalltrades/pseuds/GambitsGuardian
Summary: The dance between Light and Dark takes place within Isabelle, a Hunter mourning her Vanguard, Cayde-6. She lost trust in the Vanguard, and took her own actions. But where did she lie now? She befriends the man in the Annex, The Drifter, and her journey takes her on an unexpected turn.
Relationships: Cayde-6/Female Guardian (Destiny), The Drifter/Female Guardian (Destiny)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22





	1. Grief

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! There are some possible triggering events taking place throughout this series. That being said, this chapter contains mentions of self harm in the form of bodily harm. If this triggers you in any way, please proceed with caution. ^^"  
> Also, this is my first attempt at writing something with darker tones in it sooo... Yeah! Thanks for sticking with me through it

_ “And… This one’s for you, Isabelle. Always knew you’d outdo me. And if that means you had to do me in, well… You saved me before, I owed it to you. Ace is yours. From the first day I ever let you take a shot with him, oh, I knew you loved him. And Isa? Thanks. For all those drinking nights. For hanging around while I’m doing papers or whatever. For keeping me sane, after everything with Andal. Thanks for all of it.” _

The Ace of Spades was cradled in Isabelle’s arms. It was the final gift from Cayde-6, the late Hunter Vanguard. Her best friend. They shared countless late nights together, staying up and drinking. They told stories that everyone had already heard a thousand times over already, but they didn’t care.They had deep and serious talks about life. What would life have been like if they  _ weren’t _ Guardians? Would they each want to settle down with someone? Cayde would have loved to. Isabelle held Cayde while he sobbed over Andal; his lover. He was murdered in cold blood by Taniks. Even mentioning the name around Cayde brought him terrible memories.

And now he was gone. He was never coming back. She begged and pleaded to the Traveler with tears streaming down her face,  _ “Bring him back, please! Bring Sundance back. Please...”  _ But the Traveler never replied. Cayde was buried with whatever pieces of Sundance’s shell they could find, right next to Andal.

Cayde made it clear that whoever killed him, got everything he owned. That title would go to Uldren Sov, the Awoken Prince who  _ murdered _ him. Sov and his Barrons made Cayde’s last hour pure Hell. 

But then Isabelle killed Uldren  _ and _ his Barrons.

She stood over Uldren Sov, and he looked pathetic. He tried to look angry, but Isabelle could see the fear in his eyes. Petra was at her side,  _ “I know what Cayde would do… If he were here.” _ Uldren smirked,  _ “Do you, Guardian, know what he’d do?” _ Isabelle tensed. She didn’t know. But it didn’t matter now. She raised her gun, a modified version of Trust, and aimed it at Uldren’s head. He took a final breath and closed his eyes. Isabelle pulled the trigger and watched his lifeless body collapse to the floor. Blue Awoken blood had splattered on to her, and Petra was talking to her. But she could only focus on the dead Awoken in front of her. No sound ever made it to her ears.

Banshee was kind enough to refurbish Ace. It was a disaster. Paint was peeling, and scratches marred the gun. He obtained information from Isabelle and calibrated the gun to fit her perfectly, just like it had fit Cayde perfectly. Some welding, buffing, and a fresh coat of paint later, The Ace of Spades looked brand new. 

It had only been a week since the gun was back in good hands. It had only been hours since Banshee had reached out to Isabelle,  _ “Memory’s not too good anymore. But I know this is yours now.”  _ A pale green Ghost shell nudged the Hunter’s cheek, grounding her back to reality. She got lost in her thoughts a lot more after Cayde’s death. Her hand reached up and rubbed a thumb over the smooth shell.

[Do you want me to get Aura?] he asked.

“No… No, I’ll be okay,” she pushed herself off her bed. Running a hand through her hair, a sigh escaped her lips. “I need a shower.”

Everyone has different ways to cope with loss. Isabelle’s methods tended to be more self destructive than most. It started when Cayde died, then only got worse when Zavala refused to do anything. There was a minor pause while she was avenging her friend, her mentor, any self destructive tendencies being replaced by the pains of getting shot, or getting slammed into a wall. 

Hot water streamed down Isabelle’s body. Bruises littered her body, specifically around her torso. They were from Crucible and Gambit. She refused to let Beryl heal them. Every day, another round, and another set of bruises to add to her ever growing collection. She let her head droop and watched the water drip off of her pink hair. A haircut was in need, she noted, but for another day. 

She took time lathering her ragged body with soap. Neck. Shoulders. Upper arms. Forearms… She shook her head, ignoring her lower arms and moving on to her chest. Stomach. Thighs… Her fingers brushed past slightly raised skin. Self inflicted cuts, something else she refused to let Beryl heal. And she was back to her arms. She stared at the red, swollen mess that covered her lower arms. The cuts were still tender, and they stung when soap rubbed over them. A quick rinse of her body, and she was done.

She stepped out, wrapped a towel tightly around herself, and made her way back into her bedroom. She should be tired of the room by now, since she had spent the past three days in isolation. But she wasn’t. Beryl had set out a change of clothes for her, knowing about her struggles. She was thankful for the little guy, and gave him a gentle pat on the shell.

The Ghost cleared it’s nonexistent throat, [Lord Shaxx sent over a message for you. Would you like me to read it?] Isabelle’s head popped through the hole in her shirt, and she hummed softly. [Okay, ahem,  _ Guardian! When you have a spare moment, please stop by. I wish to talk to you, privately. Uh - In person! _ ] 

“I know you were talking, Beryl, but all I heard was Shaxx,” a small smile form on her lips. Her first smile in awhile now, even though small, it was progress. “Let him know I’ll stop by later today, okay?” 

Beryl hummed in acknowledgement. [Isa? I’m proud of you.]

Isa was adjusting the holster on her belt, “Huh? For what?”

The Ghost nestled itself in the crook of her neck, [Going outside on your own free will.]

“Thanks, Beryl.” She  _ did _ shower, and she  _ did _ choose to leave her apartment. The feeling of grease in her hair was the catalyst for the shower, and Shaxx was the catalyst for leaving. Ace of Spades was comfortably holstered, and Isa stood at her doorway. “Here goes nothing,” she sighed.

The air outside was brisk, but not cold. Trees had red, brown, and golden leaves, and they left colorful, crunchy piles in the streets. It was a nice touch of color to the City. Most Guardians lived inside the Tower, but Isa opted to rent an apartment just outside of it. She couldn’t bear to live in a complex with dozens of Guardians around her at any given time. The idea of privacy was very much needed in her life. Children ran in the streets, throwing balls back and forth to each other, or riding bikes. It was peaceful.

The Tower atmosphere was similar, in a weird way. Hunters were divided between mourning their leader and pulling pranks on everyone in his honor. They ran, causing whatever harmless mischief they could, even if it meant getting shoulder charged off the Tower by a Titan. A line was formed in front of Master Rahool, the Cryptarch. A Guardian groaned, and walked off angrily. Rahool wasn’t a very liked person. Lord Shaxx’s voice boomed, “What a fantastic show!” A crucible match had just ended, and from Shaxx’s attitude, it had been a good one. He placed a hand on one of the Guardians shoulder’s and laughed with them, before turning over their winnings.

Isa made her way to the Titan. She glanced down at her outfit, a long shirt and long pants, and glanced to everyone else. She was so out of place.

Shaxx didn’t seem to mind, “Ah, Guardian!” There was a smile in his voice. He turned to his Exo companion, “Arcite! Take over for a moment!” He gestured for Isabelle to follow him, as he entered a small alley to the side of his station. It looked like any old alleyway, trash scattered everywhere, doors to who-knows-where, nothing out of the ordinary. Shaxx reached a door at the far end of the alley, and unlocked it with his Ghost, “Ladies first.”

Isa entered the small room, and it seemed to be a meeting room. There wasn’t much besides a large table in the center, weapon crates towards the back wall, and a small counter with a coffee pot. Scattered on the table were what looked to be weapon schematics for the Crucible, as well as a book.

Shaxx shut the door behind them, making Isa jump from the noise. “Sorry about that, Guardian. You do not have to take a seat if you don’t want to. It won’t be long.” He moved towards the coffee pot, pulling out two mugs, “Coffee?” Isa nodded, and Shaxx poured two mugs of hot, brown bean juice. He slid the mug across the table to Isa, and took a seat across from her. 

Isa took a sip of her coffee, and it burned her throat. But it felt and tasted good. She let out a small hum, before a click caught her attention. Isa watched as Lord Shaxx’s helmet came off, and sat on the table next to him. She couldn’t help but stare. Shaxx  _ never _ took off the helmet.

He let out a laugh, “I need to drink somehow, Guardian,” and he took a sip of coffee. Shaxx let silence fall over them while Isa looked him over. When she finally let a breath out and took another sip of coffee, Shaxx took that as his cue. “Guardian,” he shook his head, “No, no, Isa. I’m glad you could make time to join me.”

“Thanks, for um… Inviting me?” She still had no idea what was going on.

“I wanted to check on you. Then your Ghost sent over concerns to me as well.” Isa shot daggers at Beryl. “He means no harm,” Shaxx defended the Ghost. “Are you okay, Isa?”

Isa sat silent, thinking, for a moment. Her Ghost nestled in the crook of her neck, and she scratched at the fabric covering her wrist. “I… Think I’ll be okay. It’s just hard, with Cayde gone,” a half lie. It was hard to keep going on like everything was okay when Cayde was gone. Never coming back. She didn’t know if she would actually be okay in the long run. But she didn’t want people to worry. Especially not Shaxx. He could easily relay information to Ikora or Zavala, and then they’d be involved. 

Shaxx nodded slowly, “If you need anything. Myself and Arcite will be here. And of course, the Crucible will always welcome you.”


	2. Gambit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isa gets into a Gambit match for the first time since her isolation. She meets some new friends, and someone learns her secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw; self harm

Isa made her way down the creaky steps towards the annex. Every step down she took the colder it got. Ada could deal with it fine, being an Exo and all. But how in the  _ Hell _ did Drifter put up with this all the time? She waved at a passing Guardian. They had been teammates in a few Gambit matches in the past. The Awoken and herself weren’t on a ‘stop and have a conversation in the middle of the day,’ basis or anything, but they could exchange a friendly pass-by greeting.

Drifter’s room was empty, save for the man himself, and quiet. The only sounds came from the quiet hum of the bank, and Drifter himself flipping around his signature coin. He nodded to Isa as she walked in, “Hey Hotshot, been a few days. How ‘ya doing?”

“Oh, you know, just living.” She leaned on the railing across from him, “What sort of openings do you have tomorrow?”

Drifter grinned, “Now THAT’S what I like to hear, Sister.”

  
  


Isa was in the ready-room, gearing up for the Gambit match. Her Radian Flux was equipped over a durable, long sleeved undershirt. It was meant to take hits without tearing, and it had been holding up to its word. Ace of Spades sat on the bench next to her.  _ Would Cayde be okay with this…? _ She thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by the room doors opening. Two Guardians entered, an Exo and an Awoken. Trailing behind was the Awoken from the previous day.  _ Were they all a fireteam? _

“Hi!” The female Awoken was the first to speak. “I’m Cadux. This is Stitch,” she gestured to the Exo, “and this is-”

“Milo,” Isa finished. A wave of confusion washed over the female Awoken’s face, and Milo laughed behind her. “We’ve been in a few games together. He’s terrifying with that sniper.”

Milo scratched the back of his neck, “I don’t think I’m  _ that _ good. But yeah, I convinced these two to get in a game. They’ve never done Gambit before, so I’m glad you’re not on the other side.”

“You put them in  _ Prime? _ Fuck’s sake-”

Drifter’s voice cut off the conversation, “One minute, Mavericks, get to the transporter.”

The other team was a full fireteam. Two Titans, two Warlocks. The Titans flaunted their weapons, one of the Warlocks played with Void Light in her hands, and the last member rolled her eyes at the others.

“I can’t believe you brought them into fucking Prime,” Isa muttered.

“What’s the difference?” The female Awoken asked. She was a Voidlock with competition on the other side.

“It’s harder. One round, ‘hundred Motes instead of 75, Envoys are a pain-”

The Exo, another Warlock, cut in, “Motes?”

Drifter let out a hearty laugh, “What’re you fighting today?” He flipped his coin, catching it on his glove. He peeked at it, “Oooh! Fallen on the Horizon!”

Milo looked at his fireteam, “Look just. Don’t die. Kill things. They’ll drop white pyramids. Bring that to the bank in the middle.”

Isa groaned. This was gonna be a long, long match.

“Transmat firing!”

Stitch and Cadux caught on quick. Stitch turned out to be a good Reaper, without knowing the term. His pulse rifle blasted through Fallen, and Cadux was following behind grabbing Motes- A Collector. Milo was a natural Sentry. His sniper aim was  _ terrifying _ , and invaders rarely lasted more than a few seconds. 

Both teams had their Primeval’s up when Isa’s favorite words left Drifter’s mouth, “Invasion portal’s up. Go Get ‘em.” Invading was the fun part of Gambit, and Isa hopped through the portal without a second thought. Taken energy mixed with her Light, in an all too confusing dance. However it worked, it worked, and Isa had eyes on enemy Guardians. Arc energy swam through the Taken energy, and her Arc Staff appeared in her hand. It was go time.

She charged at the Guardians, who were too preoccupied with taking care of Envoys to notice her. One of the Titans missed a shoulder charge, and she whacked him with her Staff. Not enough to kill him, though. Running at a Warlock, her Arc energy was fading. She threw the staff in her direction and pulled out Ace, firing shots at the Warlock. The Voidlock didn’t know where to look and went down. 

The Titan was still behind her, cocking a shotgun.  _ Nope, _ she thought,  _ not dying to a shotty today. _ She slid towards the other Titan, who was working on the Envoy. She got a few shots to hit him, but not enough to take him down.  _ Fuck. _ Now she had two shotguns aimed at her. It was make or break it time, as she ran and slid underneath the Wizard Envoy. She stuck her tongue out at the two Guardians.

Then the Envoy turned and looked at  _ her _ . It let out an ear-piercing screech, and caught the attention of the Primeval itself. The enemy Guardians, unphased, fired shots at Isa, and she fled in the direction of the Primeval. But the Primeval wasn’t interested in the Guardians. It too let out a screech, before attacking Isa, and sending her flying into a cliff wall.

“Pullin’ you back,” Drifter announced immediately after impact.

“Drifter,” Isa had played enough Gambit, regular and Prime, to know that was not supposed to happen, “What the fuck.” He didn’t reply, and Isa groaned, before running off and joining her team. 

Without any other odd happenings, the enemy’s Primeval was defeated. Isa’s entire team got wiped out by an invader, he was a quicker shot than Milo was. Their deaths regenerated their Primeval’s health. They never recovered from it. Stitch and Cadux did surprisingly well for their first Gambit Prime match, let alone for a first ever Gambit match. Even with the loss, it seemed Cadux enjoyed it.

Cadux cheered, back in the ready room. “That was AMAZING! How does that Drifter guy do all this?”

Isa and Milo glanced at each other and laughed, “Not even we know.”

“Probably illegally,” Stitch said. “Does the Vanguard know about all this?”

Milo rolled his eyes, “‘Course they do. Take a load off, Stitch, it’s just for fun.”

“Yeah, whatever,” the Exo was unimpressed with Gambit. “Can we just go?” He made his way towards the doors.

“What a sourpuss,” Milo laughed, “Nice teaming with you again, Isa. Catch ‘ya next time?” He turned, catching up with Stitch and Cadux. And then they were gone.

Now sitting alone, Isa leaned her head against the wall. Beryl appeared beside her, shining a blue light on to her. “Beryl, I’m fine. Really.”

[No, you’re not,] he huffed. [The incident with the Primeval earlier cracked a rib. At least let me heal  _ that _ , Isa.]

“We’ll see how I feel in a bit, alright?”

[Isa, please, this could be really serious.]

She ignored her Ghost’s pleads. There was instant relief when her armor came off. There was less constriction around her torso.  _ Beryl is just overreacting, _ she thought.

[I am  _ NOT _ overreacting, Isabelle.]

“Do you mind getting out of my head?” Isa rolled her eyes, and pulled her undershirt over her head. It made a home on the floor. A reflection caught her attention in a nearby mirror. She made her way over to it, continuing to ignore Beryl. A dark bruise was in the center of her torso, and lingering over one of her ribs.  _ Whatddya know. _

[See? I told you.]

“Beryl. I’m fine. It doesn’t even hurt.” To prove her point, she pressed down on the bruise. Pain shot through her body, and she winced.

[Isa. You are  _ not _ fine. And this needs to stop.] He flew in a circle around her, examining her body. [You’re going to hurt yourself more than you already have.]

“Maybe I don’t care, Beryl. Have you thought about that?” She snapped. She’s had enough of this. “Cayde’s gone. Forever. Fuck knows where Keaton ran off to. Probably bailed like every other Hunter. And I’m not allowed to feel any type of pain!” She spun on her heel, tossing her hands in frustration, “How the hell am I supposed to…” Her voice quieted as she noticed a figure in the door, “...feel… normal.” Hands in the air, she glanced at her arms and back at the figure. She quickly pinned them to her sides.

Drifter whistled. Isa muttered a sorry, and quickly began packing her belongings. “Nah, nah, Sister. This ain’t how it works.” He closed the door behind him, and made his way further into the ready room. Isa and her Ghost stood on opposite ends of the room, with Drifter caught in the middle. He took a seat on one of the benches, and gestured for Isa to do the same. She did, quickly putting on a sweatshirt.

“Not sure what’s completely going on, but I know that that-” he nodded in Isa’s direction, his gaze flashing between her torso and arms, “-isn’t helping anyone.” Isa hugged herself, and pulled her feet up to rest on the bench. “Listen, Kid. I’m no Cayde. I’m no therapist. I’m just Drifter. You’re one of the regulars in Gambit. And I, despite everything you might’ve heard floating around, care about my players.” Silence filled the room as thoughts swam in Isa’s head. She heard the shuffling of fabric, and then felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Derelict’s always open.”


	3. Progress/Relapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isa makes progress in breaking her habits. But where there is progress, relapse is almost always inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BIG TW; self harm

Drifter banned her from Gambit until she figured herself out. The Crucible was filled with shoulder-charging Titans. Getting constantly charged by them didn’t do what she needed. It broke her, and Beryl healed her. She couldn’t take another shoulder charge.

The City below was quiet. The Tower was quiet. Everything was at peace. Hawthorne’s usual spot was perfect for Isa. It overlooked the City, and any lingering people pass right by. She could be alone.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs behind her caught her attention. It was nearly 3am. Why was  _ anyone _ awake at this hour?

_ [Isa, you’re awake right now.] _

_ “Shut it.” _

Isa turned in her spot, and her eyes met Drifter’s. He looked just as surprised to see someone around. He cleared his throat, holding up a liquor bottle, “I uh… You need a drink?”

“Can’t really say no to that one,” she turned back around, turning her attention to her feet dangling against the building. 

Drifter settled down beside her, prefering to keep his legs on solid ground. He took a swig from the bottle before passing it over, “Don’t usually see anyone out this late.”

“Yeah,” she sipped from the bottle. The liquid didn’t burn her throat and tasted like peaches.

Drifter leaned back on his elbows, staring up into the night, “You doin’ okay?”

There was a long silence.  _ Why does he care? _ She thought. She glanced back at him. He was staring off, seemingly content with silence. Noticing the look, he raised an eyebrow at her, and Isa panicked, “I-I-... Um…” She went back to staring at the bottle in her hands. The City lights bounced around in the glass, and she sighed. “No… No, probably not. Zavala’s got me on lockdown unless it's Crucible or Gambit activities. My two best friends are…” she took a long sip from the bottle, letting peaches fill her senses. “One’s gone forever. The other vanished. And everything just feels wrong.” Tears had started swelling in her eyes. Isa set the bottle down, closer to Drifter, and wiped the tears from her eyes, “How do you do it?”

The question caught him off guard, “Hu- What?”

“You’ve been around for ages now, right?” He nodded slowly. “You’ve had to have lost someone you cared about. But you’re still… Uh… No offense, mildly functional.”

“All taken, Sister,” he laughed, then cleared his throat. “Lost a lot of good people over the years. You don’t really get over it, just learn to deal with it.” He shifted his position, now sitting upright, and looked at Isa, “Yeah, yeah, not a good answer. Honest answer? I run. Leave,” he opened his hands quickly, “Poof.” His gaze returned to the night sky, “You got good people here, Isabelle. Don’t forget ‘em.”

“Wh- You know my name?”

A dumb, toothy smile appeared on Drifter’s lips, “I know all my regulars, Sister. Give ‘em all nicknames too. You’re Bubblegum. Mostly the hair. That Milo kid? Awoken sniper? Snapshots.”

Isa pouted, “Why can’t I get a cool one?”

“It’s the hair. You stick out like a sore thumb,” he laughed. “It’sa defining feature for ‘ya.”

Silence fell over the two once the laughter settled out. Alcohol was passed between the two. It was an odd, comfortable feeling.

“Why do you care so much?” Isa spoke after awhile. “About all… All this.”

Scratching his beard, Drifter replied, “Like I said. I care about my regulars. ‘Specially those I want on my crew.”

Isa’s eyes widened, “You- You want me? On  _ your _ crew?”

“Mmhm. Been waiting to tell you ‘till you’re in a better place. Made the decision awhile back, before everything happened.”

“I… Drifter, I don’t… I don’t know what to say.”

“I think a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would work just fine, Sister.”

“I would… Yeah, yeah, I’m down!”

“Great!” He stood, and rested a hand on her shoulder, “Now you really got a reason to get yourself together. Come see me then,” a few shoulder pats, and then he was gone.

  
  


Habits can’t die overnight. Small steps need to be taken. For Isa, she let Beryl heal the long-term scars on her body. Beryl was the true hero in Isa’s life. He reminded her about basic necessities, like eating or showering, and kept her in touch with Aura for when things got bad. And, of course, he nuzzled into her when she woke up to nightmares.

Sweat pooled at the back of her neck, and tears streamed down her face. Isa’s blanket was long gone, she tossed it off at some point in the night, so she was gripping her sheets instead. Beryl floated in front of her with concern in his eye. He was trying to talk to her. He  _ was _ talking to her. But all Isa could hear were shrieks from the Scorn she killed. That she  _ murdered. _

The Fanatic stood in front of her,  _ “You enjoyed killing them? You enjoyed putting them in dirt" _

“No…” she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them. “No, I didn’t!”

_ “Tell me that killing my friends made you feel good. TELL ME!" _

“IT DIDN’T,” she screamed, pulling her pillow from behind her and tossing it at the Scorn leader. “NOTHING made me feel good!”

_ “Kaniks... Reksis Vahn…” _

“Stop,” she sobbed.

_ “Yaviks... Pirrha... Araskes…” _

She shook her head, “No, no, no stop it.”

_ “Hiraks... Elykris…” _

Isa grabbed her head, covering her ears, “Nonononono, none of it was-”

_ “Killing is ALL you do.” _

“NO IT’S NOT! I’m not a killer!  _ You _ are! You murdered Cayde!”

The Fanatic laughed,  _ “Uldren Sov.” _ And then he vanished.

“N-no, h-he… He... “ She was a murderer, wasn’t she? He was broken. Defeated.  _ Defenseless. _ She still pulled the trigger. She watched his body fall. The blood drain from his body. She watched it all. A shaky hand reached into her bedside vanity, pulling out a small Hunter’s knife. Beryl knocked himself against her hand, but couldn’t get it from her. 

Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight. She sliced into her soft skin, leaving a trail of red behind. She could feel. Another slice, and she was alive. The self-hard only ended when her bedroom door flew open and an Exo in pajamas ran in. She tossed the knife across the room, and held on to Isa as she sobbed.


	4. Reemergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isa brings herself back into the real world. She slowly starts opening up about her issues to the people she trusts most. Then, the Drifter sends her to his ship.

Zavala’s lockdown was redacted. It had been a month since her return to the Tower. A month since Uldren Sov’s death. Isa was making progress. Nightmares still haunted her, and she still regularly woke up in a panic. Beryl was making progress healing her wounds and scars. And there had only been two major incidents since the man known only as Drifter dropped his request on her.

Isa opened up to others. She confided in Aura, her fireteam leader and friend. And Aura had been by her side since. Keaton was still missing, but Isa made it known that if he were around, he would know everything. She sighed, walking up to Lord Shaxx. He was laughing with another Titan - Saint-14. He had just recently arrived in the Tower, through a lot of time and space magic.

“Guardian!” Shaxx exclaimed, placing a hand on her shoulder. “How are you, my friend?”

“I’m... “ Isa looked over her shoulders then back to Shaxx, “Could I talk to you?”

Shaxx seemed to tense up ever slightly, “Of course. Arcite, take over for me.” He turned to Saint, “Arcite will keep you company, don’t you worry!” He began his walk into the alleyway, with Isa following behind. It looked brighter than last time she came through. 

The meeting room hadn’t changed much. There were more crates against the back wall, and an accumulation of purple items. Isa took a seat, and Shaxx sat across from her. He clicked off his helmet and set it next to him, “Isa, are you doing okay?”

Beryl nestled himself in the crook of Isa’s neck, a quiet hum came from him. “I.... I’ve been going through a lot. Beryl’s been keeping me from Crucible for… Well, my sake. I guess.” One of Shaxx’s eyebrows raised slightly, but he remained quiet, “I’ve been doing better. At least, he’s told me I have been. But… For a while, I wasn’t really…” her voice dropped to a near whisper, “I wasn’t letting Beryl heal me.” Tears swelled in her eyes, and Beryl nudged her.

He’d take over for her from the comfort of her shoulder, [It was a coping mechanism. To deal with… Cayde and Uldren. As well as her missing teammate. Um. We have a request for you.]

Shaxx nodded, “Yes, of course. What can I do?”

[Specifically after Crucible matches, if you don’t mind getting in touch with me. Just to make sure she’s… You know. Not destroying herself.] Isa sank into her seat.

“Isa,” Shaxx’s voice was quiet and calm. “I have been around since the days of the Warlords and Iron Wolves. Being a Guardian is far from easy, and losing your friends never gets easier.” A small smile grew on his face, “I will check up on you every now and again. And my door is always open for you.”

  
  


[You know you don’t  _ really _ have to go talk to him.] 

Isa took the steps two at a time, Beryl staying by her shoulder. “Might as well do it now.” The Annex was still cold. Maybe Zavala would get heaters down there if enough people complained.

[He won’t.]

“Let me dream,” Isa pouted. Her footsteps echoed through the concrete corridors. It was silent. Too silent. It was still early, and prime bounty collecting time. Gambit matches were held every other day, and there were some the previous day. Everything felt weird.

Turning the corner into Drifter’s space, it was empty. The bank hummed, but there was no coin chime. There was, however, the faint bang of… Tools?

“Hello?” Isa called in. She was met with a loud bang, and cursing. Isa rushed forward to see Drifter crawling out from under the bank rubbing his head, “Shit, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yep,” he came to a stand, brushing dust off his pants, “Yep, I’m good. Nice seeing ‘ya back.”

“Yeah, it’s… It’s nice being back down here. Still not a fan of the cold, but. Yeah.”

Drifter leaned against the railing, looking at Isa, “How you holding up, Isabelle?”

“You, uh… You can call me Isa.” She rolled her eyes, “Only Zavala and Osiris call me Isabelle.”

“Hah! Alright then. Isa. How you doing?”

“Better. Not… Not perfect. But better,” she smiled, “Beryl likes to say a lot better.”

Now it was Drifter’s turn to smile, “Glad to hear it! Think you’re better enough for Gambit?”

“I- Um… We, Beryl and me, just talked to Shaxx, actually, about the same thing. We think I’m okay, but... “ She trailed off, realizing she sounded like a child sick with a cold.  _ We just need someone to check up on me every now and again. _

Beryl bumped against the side of her head, [She’s fine to go back in. I just need a second person checking up on her, if she decides to scream at me again and not let me do my job.]

Her face grew red with embarrassment and she turned to look at the wall instead of Drifter or Beryl. “You didn’t have to put it that way…”

Footsteps echoed in the hallway, gathering the attention of the trio. Drifter cleared his throat, “Tell ‘ya what. Go up to the Derelict and grab a datapad from it. Right, down the hall. Snow filled room. Don’t…” He shook his head with a laugh, “Don’t think too hard on that one.”


	5. Allegince I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Drifter sent Isa on a wild goose chase throughout the EDZ. Isa learns bits and pieces of the Drifter.

Stepping foot on the Derelict was off putting, to say the least. Isa never realized how big the place actually was. For Gambit, she was refined to the small transmat platforms and the ready room. For Reckoning, she never wanted to pry. Others had. They had explored the ship, and Drifter  _ had _ to know about it. What was he hiding here?

“To the right,” she mumbled, heading that direction. The metal walkway creaked under her boots and swayed ever so slightly with every step. “Down the hall.” She began down the hallway, looking at all the pipework that kept the ship alive. “And to a room filled with…” There were odd beeps off in the distance of varying frequencies and volumes. “Snow.” Her boot hit snow. Cold, fluffy snow. Smiling, she grabbed a handful and made it into a snowball, “Hey, Beryl!”

_ [No.] _

She rolled her eyes, “What a party pooper.” The snow was packed down in an easy trail from the walkway to a smallish shipping container. Inside was packed with  _ things. _ Guns, ammo, schematics, and… “Is that a cabal head…?” 

_ [I don’t… I don’t want to know what else he keeps around here.] _

Isa nodded, “Probably for the best.” But she kept looking anyways. Two bookcases stood side-by-side, both filled with books. Some were in languages Isa couldn’t make out, “Golden aged books? And one in  _ Eliksni _ ?”

_ [It seems like it.] _

“I didn’t even know the Fallen could write.” Turning her attention to the opposite wall, she noticed another small wall of ‘trophies’, a generator, and a small cot. No wonder the man had bags under his eyes, and looked like he never slept. He probably didn’t. Isa pushed down on the cot, and it squeaked under the pressure. It didn’t feel pleasant either. Saying it felt like a rock was an understatement. All he had on top of it were a dusty, torn pillow, and a sleeping bag. 

“Don’t know how he lives like this,” her hand brushed against the fabric of the sleeping bag. “Especially when it’s snowing outside?”

_ [Isa. I think we’re supposed to be looking for a datapad.] _

“Right, right. Datapad,” her attention turned to one of the work tables. Among the scattered weapon schematics was a single data pad. She picked it up, and it clicked to life, beginning a message. “Oh nonononono, he’s gonna kill me and it won’t turn off, Beryl  _ help me. _ ”

_ “Hey, Kid. Glad you’re finally back in action. If you’re gonna keep hanging with ol’ Drifter, there’s some things you should know. To do that, I’ve prepared a little survival guide for ya. Courtesy of the ultimate prepper himself. Heh. That’s me. Made you some tapes. First one? Right here. _

_ I've been pitting a lot of very bad people against some good ones. Could end up being trouble for the City and there's already been some collateral damage. Hand to my heart I regret anyone who takes a dirt nap on account'a me. But I didn't survive by being indecisive.  _

_ Through every age and era, Drifter's done what he had to. The Warlords and the Iron Lords taught me that the Light is no gift. It brought hell to earth, and when we begged to die, it said hell no. They say the Dark Age was untold suffering. I could tell you a lot. Maybe next time. I made you tapes. Next one’s in Europe. Get your ass movin’. _

Isa stood, staring at the now dark data pad. “Tapes?” Her voice cracked.

Beryl had come out of hiding and had been scanning the pad. He sighed, [He’s sending us on a-] his attention turned to Isa, who let out a small sob. [Isa?]

“I can’t do it,” she was shaking. 

Realization set in, [Cayde…] Beryl nestled himself against her. [Isa-]

“Beryl, I can’t. I don’t…”

[Isa, listen to me. This is something you want, right? As much as I disagree,  _ you _ want to be in his crew.] She nodded. [...Cayde wanted you to be happy. He always said do what  _ you _ think is right, and,] he made a noise similar to clearing his throat. Imitating Cayde, [Fuck anyone who argues.]

_ “Fuck anyone who argues with you. Or. Don’t- Don’t actually. I don’t encourage that. There’s- There’s a lot of people who argue with me.” _

Cayde’s statement brought a smile to Isa’s otherwise sullen face. He really was a dork.

[I’ll be with you.]

  
  


This was Isa’s first time out since she returned to the Tower over a month ago. She had a new armor set. Aura had helped her pick it out. It included a custom cloak, which blew in the air. Dark blue and silver fabric, donning the emblem of a Spade; for Cayde.

Bow drawn, she entered the Skydock Lost Sector. It’d been awhile, but not much had changed. Still overrun with Fallen, and Isa shuddered. Fallen and Scorn were connected, whether they wanted to be or not. And every Fallen made her remember a Scorn she had killed in The Shore.

An arrow penetrated the skull of one, and his companions were none the wiser. They glanced around, but saw nothing and shrugged it off. Isa rolled her eyes, this group was a lot more dumb than she remembered Fallen being. Another arrow flew from her bow, hitting one in the knee and causing it to shriek. That one, though, saw her.

Bow time was over, and Isa drew Ace of Spades. It gleamed, even in low light. It seemed like a part of Cayde’s soul was still in it. He was still around, somewhere. A shot hitting into the rock next to her broke Isa from her thoughts. She eyed the Captain, the man in charge. Take him down, and everyone scrambles. Tossing an Arc grenade, she jumped over her rock barrier. The grenade shocked several Dregs and Vandals, which Isa quickly took out with a shot from Ace.

Her attention focused on their leader. She sent a knife into his side, and he shrieked. He fired shots at Isa, which she easily evaded. By evading the Captain’s shots she had rolled into the legs of another Vandal. The Vandal then stabbed at her and successfully got through her armor. After a small hiss from Isa, she shot the Vandal, and it fell over dead. 

From cover, she pulled her bow again and took shots at the Captain. It shouted commands in Eliksni, and suddenly Isa wished she knew the language. A group of Vandals converged on her, weapons drawn. That was fine for Isa, who channeled her Arc energy into her beloved staff. She flew at the crowd, decapitating some, and cutting others in half. She was  _ dangerous _ with a staff. Soon, the Captain was alone, with no army to help him. He fled. Leaving Isa and Beryl alone.

[Are you okay?] He shone a blue light on Isa, examining her wounds.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” she wiped blood from her pants, and began walking around. Beryl sighed, following her with the light. “Something techy…” An old Fallen tower caught her eye, and she made her way to it. Beryl worked his magic, hacking into its system, and another message from Drifter started.

  
  


Two days passed, and Isa was exhausted. The Drifter had sent her and Beryl on a wild hunt throughout the EDZ. Drifter was a sketchy man. He ran with a lot of people, The Shadows of Yor, to name one important one.  _ He ran with Cayde, too. _

He was paranoid about his Ghost, and told Isa not to trust Beryl. Isa simply shrugged that aside, Beryl wasn’t like Ghosts he’d seen in his life time. He had no ill will against Isa, and by no means did he want to kill her. Well, there  _ was _ that one time that she threw her blanket off her bed and sent him flying. Isa started laughing.

[Hey! That was  _ not _ funny! It hurt!]

The Vanguard weren’t to be trusted, according to Drifter. Isa didn’t need to hear that twice. They might have had good intentions, but they had lost her faith after Cayde’s death. Ikora at least  _ wanted _ to do something. Zavala just went on about his ‘good of the city’ talk. The Vanguard was changing into something she didn’t like.

A Warlock, Aunor, was out to get him. She was getting everyday Gambit players on her side. Snitches, he called them. He could tell them apart, for the most part. He let them in with the ‘they get me motes,’ mentality. The Man with the Golden Gun. Shin Malphur. He was out there, somewhere. Side with Drifter, and he was bound to show his face eventually. 

Isa sighed, a lot of his messages had been laced with paranoia. Evil Ghosts? A Warlock out to get him? But, he made valid points. He showed  _ some _ honesty in his life. He admitted to shitty things he’d done. He opened up about minor life details.

She made it to the final terminal, and Beryl didn’t need to touch it. It was already online. Isa tapped the screen, and the final message started.

_ Hey, you made it to the end. Last few words? I care about you, Isa. Honest. Might be the closest thing to a wheel-horse I’ve had in…. A thousand years? You kids still say that, right? It’s a Dark Age expression. Means we’re tight.  _

_ And trade your little jumpship in for a hauler. Go see the universe. You won’t find the best in this System. Another Collapse is comin’. I know it. And I’m saving a seat on the Derelict for you. If you still want it after all this. _

_ You know where to find me. _


	6. Allegince II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isa makes her way back to the Tower, and back to the Annex. Nothing goes as easily as imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i started writing this chapter when i was not sick. i finished it when i am sick. if something doesn't make sense im so sorry i shouldn't be allowed internet privileges when im sick

The Tower was buzzing, and Isa was finally back. First matter of business? She stared at the line in front of Rahool. Was it worth it? Was it really worth it? She walked away with nothing having been gained other than weapon parts, which went straight to Banshee in return for weapon Mods. The vault was becoming hard to manage. Isa was a bit of a hoarder when it came to weaponry. She had grenade launchers and machine guns that were far too heavy for her to lift, for example.  _ Another day, _ she thought. The newest addition to her armory? A pulse rifle, Go Figure.

Her next stop was the Annex. The Drifter. Guardians crowded the small room. Signups for Gambit were up, and bounties had to be turned in. She gave a friendly nod to some of the Guardians she recognized. Drifter had yet to notice her, despite him previously stating how easily she sticks out. Isa stood in the corner of the room, Guardian watching. A common pastime for her.

Two Guardians linked arms, elbow to elbow, laughing as they walked out of the Annex. Another Guardian, an Exo, groaned in frustration due to the amount of people waiting around. The Drifter rolled a coin between his fingers, and it flashed away when he turned to the rosters. The Guardian he was talking to slid something into his palm, and he pocketed it quickly.

Heat rose quickly. Too quickly. Attention was turned to two Guardians in the opposite corner of the room. Things between them were slowly becoming toxic. Their voices were raising, and Solar energy burned through them both. One was a Titan, the other a Warlock. Guardians, noticing the confrontation quickly left, finished bounties in hands. 

Drifter sighed, “If you guys are gonna wreck the place, do it somewhere else.”

Isa couldn’t hear the response, but she  _ did _ notice the intense rise in temperature and she DEFINITELY noticed the Hammer that got thrown by her head. She let out a shriek. Across from her, the Titan was wielding Solar Hammers and the Warlock had Daybreak. Drifter motioned for the remaining Guardians to leave.

Isa turned to leave, but the sound of another Hammer caught her attention. She turned back, and everything was in slow motion. Drifter was reaching for his gun. A Hammer was going in his direction, and the Titan had another aimed at the Warlock. The Warlock had Daybreak in the air, about to crash down on the Titan. Hunter instincts kicked in and she was in front of Drifter in a second, Arc Staff in hand. She twirled it quickly, turning it into a very, very weak shield. She had used it enough to know that she would be left with a bruise or two, but would otherwise be okay.

The Hammer slammed against her Staff and dissipated, and her staff shattered in the impact. The force of the blew Isa backwards, and into Drifter, then the duo was sent backwards. Drifter steadied them, his hands on Isa’s hips, before letting out a deep sigh. Isa held her hands together, her wrists aching from the impact.

“Really,” Drifter was pissed. “All I do for ‘ya, and this is how you pay it back?” He let go of Isa, and started forwards, grabbing his gun from the floor, “I’ll give you 3 seconds to leave before I end both of you,  _ and _ your Ghosts.” He clicked open the chamber of his gun, then closed it, staring at the Warlock and Titan, “I got 9 bullets for you two.”

The Titan grumbled something under his breath, before giving the Warlock a shove, and stomping off.. The Warlock gave him the middle finger, and used his Ghost to transmat… Anywhere else, probably.

Drifter holstered his gun, and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Guardians, I tell ‘ya…” His attention turned to Isa, her Ghost glancing over her wrists, “You okay?”

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine,” she lied. Her wrists and hands ached, and Beryl couldn’t do all that much for her other than numb it completely. Both had agreed previously to  _ not _ do that, in fear of Isa’s self-destructive tendencies.

He broke the distance between them, “Lemme see.” Isa held her hands close to her still. “I won’t bite, Kid. I’ll promise that one.” She took off her gauntlets, revealing bruised fingers and an inflamed wrist. Drifter held them gently, and rolled up both of her sleeves slightly. His thumbs brushed against her old scars, and Isa looked away from him. “It won’t be a bite,” his voice was quiet, filled with concern. “But it might sting.”

With how rare he used Light, it was hard to remember that Drifter  _ was _ a Lightbearer at all. Light flowed from his hands and into Isa’s with a feeling of a hot spark. It did sting, and Isa tried to pull her hands back. Drifter kept them held firmly, but not enough to hurt her. 

“Light…” Isa whispered. Drifter only nodded. The bruises on her fingers slowly faded back into her pale skin color. “I… Forget you’re a Lightbearer sometimes.”

He moved his hands up, holding her wrists now rather than her hands. The same hot spark hit Isa and she flinched. “Lotta people do. Don’t blame ‘em. Don’t exactly like being associated with Light.” The faint red and inflamed blotches around Isa’s wrists slowly faded, much like the bruises on her hands. He let go, letting Isa investigate. She looked at her hands from every angle, twisted it, cracked her knuckles, anything she could think of doing. “Better?” Drifter asked after a moment.

“Y-yeah. Thank you.”

Drifter made his way to the room’s entrance and locked it up. He fiddled with enough locks, someone might think there’s a stash of glimmer hiding instead of a Taken bank.

“Hey, Drifter?”

“Mm?”

“What would you be?”

He turned from his locks, “Whatddya mean?”

“Like… I guess… I’m just thinking out loud. But I’d think you’d be a Warlock. You dress like one, and you can heal. But…”

Drifter chuckled and locked the last lock, “Don’t work that way, Bubblegum.” Isa’s face flushed red at the forgotten nickname. “Didn’t have these,” he used air quotes, “‘classes’, that you kids now do. Just did what we had to do to survive.” He started making his way back towards Isa, bringing one of his coins into existence and flicking it around. “If you  _ really _ try hard enough, and it’s not even that hard, you little Hunters can figure out how to make that Titan bubble that they love so much.”

Isa’s eyes sparkled. A Hunter being able to use Solar Hammers? Or even drop down a Rift? Climbing up to a tall building, and throwing a Nova Bomb to the streets below?

_ [I think he’s pulling your leg,]  _ Beryl chimed in.

“Beryl, don’t ruin my dreams.”

Drifter laughed, “Beryl? You named your Ghost ‘Green’?”

Embarrassment fell over Isa’s face, “W-w-w-well. I-It was Barrel. Like. A steel cylinder thing? Those kind of Barrels. H-H-He hid in one. One of the first times we went out together-”

[I did  _ not _ ,] Beryl hissed. [ _ You _ specifically told me to go into it. Then you got ambushed. So I stayed there.]

“Hah! Same way to say it, two different meanings. Love it,” Drifter leaned back against his railing. His smile, however, vanished, and serious fell over him. “So. You found all the tapes.” Isa nodded, suddenly more anxious than embarrassed. “Whaddya say? Still on board with being my crew?” Isa nodded again. Drifter cocked an eyebrow, “You were all chatty a minute ago, what’s up? Cat got your tongue?” 

Scratching the back of her neck, Isa broke her silence, “No, I… I have a question, Drifter.”

“Go on.”

Beryl nuzzled against Isa’s neck. He knew the question, and Isa needed support with it. “Cayde-6.” Her voice broke, and she stopped after only saying his name.

“Hunter Vanguard. Yeah. Didn’t know him well, but knew enough to know I don’t exactly like him.”

“You ran with him.”

Drifter’s eyes narrowed, and he tensed up. His coin disappeared in a flash of green, and his eyes bore into Isa’s, “Where did you hear that?”

“He… He left tapes,” Isa blinked back tears. “He left tapes for anyone he thought would’ve killed him. Uldren…” Her voice cracked, and she had to wipe away the now free flowing tears. Drifter’s entire posture had changed. He had gone from tense and suspicious, to straight concerned. “He wasn’t one of them. But I was. And you were too.”

“You? You couldn’t kill a-” Drifter cut himself short. She could kill a fly. That fly was named Uldren Sov. He shook his head, “Sorry.” He glanced around his small area, looking for a rag. He grabbed one off his work bench and handed it to Isa, who took it with a sad smile of a ‘thank you’.

“Gambit was his idea? I-I know he didn’t see eye to eye with Ikora and Zavala a lot… but… I didn’t think he’d be gambling with...  _ Darkness _ .” 

Drifter pulled her into a gentle hug, and his voice was soft, completely opposite of his usual self, “Sweetheart, I think that’s a different story for a different day.” Isa sobbed into his shoulder, and he let her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i still have no idea if Cayde/Isa were dating or just bffs but they were close and lets just leave it at that ???


	7. Paralysis

The ground got smaller and further away from Isa as she climbed an old Fallen Tower, somewhere in the EDZ. “Are you sure this is okay?” she asked. 

“‘Course it is! I’ve done it a million times already,” a voice full of cheer replied. The blue Exo, Cayde-6, was above her, making his own way to the top. It was his idea to come up here.  _ “What’s the worst that could happen?” _ he had asked. The answer was fall and die. But they had Ghosts, Sundance and Beryl, who could bring them back. No harm done.

Another foot up, “Why did I let you talk me into this.”

“Because I  _ am _ your boss after all,” he laughed. “You gotta do whatever I come up with.” Cayde had some sort of a point. He assigned patrols and missions, and he left the particularly ‘fun’ ones for his favorite Hunters. ‘Fun’ missions being the ones where he tags along.

This day had been scouting an old Fallen Tower to make sure no new Fallen were inhabiting it. The pair of Hunters swept through the main floor first, only finding a few scavengers. They then split up, Cayde took the bottom floor and Isa took the top. Isa found nothing of importance. A few dusklight shards had begun growing and they let off a cool, blue light. Then a shot rang through her ears. “Cayde?” Silence. Isa took a final look around the barren floor, then headed to the main flood where another shot rang out.

“Cayde, is everything okay?” More silence filled the comms.  _ This can’t be good, _ she thought, rushing down the stairs. Trust at the ready, she stalked through the halls listening for any sound. Something shuffled to her right, and she turned. A rat ran across a table, and she sighed. “Isa to Cayde. Are you okay?”

Another shot. It was close, maybe right down the hall. She rushed forward, and Cayde met her with a smile, “What took so long?”

She blinked, “Wha-”

“C’mon, you  _ really _ think somethings gonna be in here? It’s been like, 100 years since Fallen were last around.”

“So… Why are we here?”

“Well, one, I didn’t want to be in the Tower. Two! Wanted some good ‘ol quality time with my favorite Hunter,” he winked. “Don’t tell anyone you’re my favorite.” Cayde made his way to a ladder, and began climbing it, “Come on Issy, we got some climbing to do.”

“Wait, what?”

Now they were who knows how high up, and Cayde’s platform was in reach. Just a few more steps up, and Isa would be up with him. And then she slipped. She let out a shriek, and in the blink of an eye Cayde had her held by the arm. “When I said the worst thing that could happen was falling… I didn’t think you’d actually fall. Get up here,” and he hoisted her up.

They stood high above everything. The Fallen Tower looked tiny, and their Sparrows were even smaller. Mountains seemed closer and easier to reach, and the green trees looked like a wave in the wind. 

“You can take your helmet off, y’know,” Cayde sat, his arms stretched out behind him propping him up. Isa followed suit, clicking off her helmet in the process and setting it beside her. “Sorry for dragging you into this. Needed some time out, if I’m honest.”

“You okay?” It wasn’t the first time Cayde needed some time alone. Even if he wasn’t alone. He just needed time away from the Tower, from Vanguard duties. 

He scooted closer to her, resting his head on her shoulder, “Miss him.” Andal. “I wish he was still around, but neither of us were Hunter Vanguard.”

Isa wrapped an arm around him, holding him close. She closed her eyes, and let him ramble about their antics.  _ National Hunter Day _ was his favorite to talk about. It was a completely made up holiday just so him, Andal, and Shiro could get out of work for a day. It worked, and it’s lived on since.  _ Hunter Day _ was the same day, every year, and almost every Hunter agreed to slack off for a day. What could the Vanguard do? Punish all of them?  _ Including _ the Hunter Vanguard themself?

Cayde wrapped his arms around Isa and fell backwards, bringing her with him. They landed with a  _ thud _ , but they just laughed. “Thanks, Isa. For everything.”

“You’re welco-” her smile faded as she turned to look at Cayde. His face was mangled, his armor was destroyed, and there was a hole in his chest. He was dying in front of her again. Tears welled in her eyes as she scrambled to her knees, “Cayde no, please, not again,” she begged.

His clear voice now turned to static and coughs, “I- I’ll never be able… To repay you.”

Her hands fell on his chest, trying to do…  _ Anything _ to save him. “Y-You’ve never had to. J-just please. Please don’t leave me again,  _ please. _ ”

One of his hands rested over hers, “You… Tell the Vanguard-”

“Don’t-”

“They were the best bet-”   
“Cayde  _ please _ .”

“I ever-”

All that came out of Isa’s throat was a loud sob.

“Lost.”

Her room was shrouded in darkness. She could feel her heartbeat in the back of her throat. She couldn’t move. Her eyes fixated on a blue light floating beside her. Beryl. But as her eyes adjusted to darkness she could also see a figure behind him.

[Isa? Are you okay?] Beryl asked, concern filling his robotic voice.

_ No! _ She tried to scream. But she couldn’t move anything. Her throat would make no noise.

[You… Are, awake. Right? Your… Everything, really, is off the charts. It’s concerning.]

_ Please help me. _ She cried to no avail. 

It was a human figure, and it was moving closer. She tried to scream to her Ghost, nothing coming from her lips. Then it passed through him, blocking Beryl from her vision. He wore a cloak, had dark hair, and orange eyes. 

_ Nononono, _ she screamed.  _ You’re supposed to be dead! _

Uldren Sov stood above her, a wide smirk on his face. 

[Lychee, it’s Beryl.]

[Hi. Everything okay?]

[No. Isabelle is asleep, but her heart is racing, and she’s hyperventilating. I can’t wake her up. Where’s Aura?]

[Oh no. Aura went out tonight with Denver. I’m not with her.]

[This is not good. Can you try to get her? And get back to me. Quickly.]

[Of course.]

Beryl sighed, staring at his Guardian. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t understand. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it. She was asleep, albeit with her eyes opened, but asleep. Her heart was racing like she was in a nightmare. And she was hyperventilating, like she was in the midst of a panic attack. But she was  _ asleep. _

[Um, hello. This is Beryl, Isabelle’s Ghost.]

[Hi.]

[Something’s wrong with my Guardian. I need help, and Aura isn’t available.]

[Okay. I’ll pass the word along.]

[Please, be quick. Please.]

Uldren loomed over Isa, looking her up and down, “You know… I wish I was there to watch the Light leave his body.”

Isa wanted nothing more than to scream, and she tried. She really tried. Tears welled in her eyes and dripped down the side of her face.  _ You’re DEAD, _ she cried.

“If I’m dead… Then why am I here?” He placed a hand on her arm, “Why can you feel me?” Uldren lifted his hand and placed it in the middle of Isa’s chest. He tucked his pinky and ring finger into his palm and lowered his thumb, turning his hand into a vague gun shape. He flicked his wrist, “Bang.”

_ You’re not real, you’re not real, you’re not real, _ she cried. Her eyes squeezed shut, trying to make him disappear.

“I’m as real as you are,” his hand traced over her stomach, lingering on a nasty scar. “Fikurl, The Fanatic, will never die, you know. He will always be around. And he will always remember you,” he leaned close to Isa’s face. “He will always remember your face. And what you did to his family.” His face moved closer with every word, “He. Will. Not-”

Light flooded into her room, blinding Isa.

“Forget.”

When her vision returned, Beryl was in front of her again. A sleek black Ghost floated next to him as well. This wasn’t Lychee. Keaton wasn’t back. Who was-? Her bed dipped, and her eyes darted to her right.    
“Blink once for yes, twice for no. Got it?” One blink. “Your name is Isabelle.” One confused blink. “Yeah,” Drifter glanced to the worried Ghost, “she’s conscious.” And back to Isa. He brushed tears off of Isa’s cheeks. His hands were rough and calloused, “You gotta work with me, alright?” One blink.

“Sleep paralysis,” he explained. He took one of Isa’s hands in his own, he gently bent each one of her fingers until they made a fist. “You wake up, but your body doesn’t. So you can’t move,” he bent her wrist, then swapped to her other hand. “Not exactly sure about why it happens, but it does. And taking from the tears, Sweetheart, you had yourself a paralysis demon.”

[There was nothing he-]

“There doesn’t need to be.” He patted Isa’s hands, “Gettin’ your body back yet?” Her hand twitched, then closed around his. “Good, good. Anything else?”

Isa closed her eyes, and her body slowly started becoming hers again. She could move her eyebrows and wiggle her toes. Drifter slid his arm underneath her and sat her upright, and she could stay up on her own. 

“Sleep Paralysis doesn’t usually last this long. But exceptions happen everywhere. Think you’ll-”

Isa’s body was hers, and she crashed against Drifter, wrapping her arms around his torso. She sobbed into his shoulder, “C-C-Cayde. A-A-And Ul-Uldren-”

Drifter pulled her closer against him, rubbing her back, “Hey now, you don’t gotta talk about it. I know it ain’t easy. Had enough of them myself.” He fell silent and closed his eyes.

“H-He’s gone… R-Right?”

“Mm. He ain’t coming back any time soon.”

Isa raised her head to look at him. Her face was red and puffy, and her cheeks had tears running down them, “I-I don’t… I don’t want to be alone.”

“You got your Gho-”

“Don’t leave.”

He couldn’t stay. No more attachments. Not again. Sighing, he brushed tears off Isa’s cheeks, “Don’t exactly do-”

“Please,” her lip quivered. “I… I can’t look at him again. I’m  _ scared. _ ” Her voice cracked. She was vulnerable and she knew it. But God, if she wasn’t terrified to look Uldren Sov in the face again. She was terrified to watch Cayde die in front of her again. Her voice dropped to a whisper, “I can’t watch him die again.”

A memory flashed in Drifter’s mind. A small child died in his arms. She was innocent. Precious. And the memory never left him. He let go of Isa and stood. Isa’s face almost broke him. She was terrified and unsure of everything. His signature green jacket fell to the floor, and now  _ he _ was the vulnerable one. It left him in a sweatshirt and pants. “I know what that’s like,” he glanced around the room. “Where do you want me?”   
Isa pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her comforter tightly around her, “I-in here. I have… There are spare blankets in the closet.”

Drifter nodded, and took a blanket out. He didn’t really need it, it was just for courtesy’s sake. He laid it out on the floor beside Isa’s bed, and bunched his jacket up as a blanket.

“Um,” Isa fumbled with her hands, and words. “I… I know it… The floor isn’t…” She took a deep breath, “There’s space for two. Here. I- I know it might be… I just- I feel bad and don’t-”

“Sister, I get it. Trust me,” he sat back on the bed. “You sure?” Isa nodded. Drifter pulled the blanket from the floor and threw it over himself with a chuckle, “Definitely better than on the Derelict.”   
“Drifter?”

“Mm?”

“Thank you.”

He didn’t sleep. That wasn’t unusual. However, instead of fiddling with tech or guns, he stared into the darkness of Isa’s room. His arms were crossed behind his head, and he was contemplating changes to Gambit, or thinking about ‘things’ he needed to pick up at some point. There was a sudden warmth on his side and he glanced down to see Isa nestled against him. She was completely asleep still. Drifter let out a quiet chuckle, and brushed a piece of hair off her face. The Hunter was cute in all the right ways. Everything about her was soft. Her hands, her face, everything. Her eyes almost always had a sparkle to them. And-

Drifter blinked. Did he really think Bubblegum was cute? ‘Course he did. Was there something beyond that? He shook his head, no, there couldn’t be. Could there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm still sick but I NEED CUTE TO KEEP ME ALIVE.


	8. Crimson Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crimson Days is in full swing and Isa takes a chance in the Crimson Doubles tournament!

Crimson Days was in full swing. Technically, Crimson Day was a single day from the Golden Age. It was meant to be an appreciation day to those who have found love. Nowadays, it’s been turned into a week long event. Of course, Guardians expressed their love for their significant others and friends. But Shaxx began the tradition of having a tournament in the Crucible. Isa typically entered with her friend, Keaton. But like most well-versed Hunters, he bailed as soon as Cayde died. Aura wasn’t much of a fan of playing Crucible, and her more recent friend, Milo, entered with Cadux. 

“Ah, Guardian!” Shaxx exclaimed as Isa headed towards him.

“Hey Shaxx,” she smiled.

“Here to sign up for Crimson Doubles?” He glanced around, puzzled, “But where is your friend? Keaton, was it?”

She rubbed the back of her neck, “Yeah… He, uh… Caught up with stuff.”

Shaxx nodded, and placed a hand on her shoulder, “I understand, Guardian.”

“I’m still here to sign up, though. Just solo,” she gave a warm smile to the Titan, who seemed to glow from her words.

“Marvelous! Let’s get you entered!” He turned and began entering information into a large datapad behind him. “When are you available for matches, Isa?”

“Unless Zavala sends me out, I’m free all week!”

  
  


Three hours later and she was in the Crucible ready room. Small red and white tiles adorned the walls, while large white tiles made up the floor. It had been awhile since Isa had been in a Crucible match. Her last one had a Titan set on solely shoulder charging  _ her. _ No one else had to deal with him. She called out every time he was coming around, but no one could deal with him. At one point, she jumped into a puddle of Radiolarian to die, rather than deal with him again.

Now, Ace was on her hip and Subtle Calamity, her bow, was sitting against the benches with her armor. Three months ago, she was a disaster. Bruises had littered her body, and it hurt to even walk. Beryl tapped against her as she watched herself in the mirror. She smiled, pressing a small kiss to his shell.

“Thanks, Beryl,” she whispered.

[For?]

“Being my Ghost!”

The door swung open and a Warlock entered. Their helmet was already on, and they were set to fight. Their robs followed behind them as they walked, and the little tail coming off their helmet bobbed with every step. They nodded at Isa, “Hey.”

“Hey, you look raring to go, huh?” She smiled, “I’m Isa. Whatcha running?”

“Yeah, gotta be ready for anything. Levi. And, uh,” he scratched at the back of his neck.”Don’t know. Figure it out when we get there.”

“Well, I’ve got a bow and hand cannon. Good with Snipers or Scouts? We can be the,” she smiled, and waved her hands over her head, making an imaginary banner in front of her, “‘Deadly Distance Duo.’”

Levi stared at her. “Yeah… That’s… I can run a Sniper.”

“Perfect!” Isa spun around, before making her way to her armor. “Worse case scenario, we have to swap to close range because they wanna charge. But we’ll see what happens.” She stretched one last time before putting on her chestplate. Last was the cape. With a smile, she clicked it on.

“He meant a lot to you, huh?” Levi asked.

Isa could only nod before Shaxx’s voice rang out, announcing the end of the ready period.

“Guardians!” Shaxx announced, “In this match of the Crimson Doubles Tournament, we have two SPECTACULAR teams. Fireteam Starlight,” above the area was a large, floating screen. Projected on it were the pictures of Isa and Levi. “Isabelle the Hunter. A menace with an arc staff. And Levi the Warlock! A newcomer to the Crucible arena!”

Isa could’ve screamed. Of course, Shaxx would pair her with a newcomer. Her head dropped, this game wouldn’t last long. 

“We also have Fireteam Geyser!” An image of a human and a male Exo appeared. “Kit the Warlock. Starlight, I’d say not to get on their bad side but… Seems you already are. And Reaper-4, A Titan through and through.”

Now, Isa groaned. If ‘A Titan through and through,’ meant anything to her, it just meant ‘Get ready for shoulder charges!’ Why couldn’t Keaton be around? Last year they demolished Crimson Doubles. And it was already looking like this year, she was going to be the one being demolished.

“Let’s start the show!” Shaxx exclaimed, and the crowd cheered. Both teams were transmatted into the arena.

Before her feet even touched the ground, Isa’s bow was drawn and pointed ahead of her. A large wheel partially obstructed her view. As it turned, she noticed the all too familiar laser of a Sniper Rifle. She let her arrow go, and ducked to the right as a bullet struck behind her, “Let’s go,” she called to Levi.

“Since you’re new to Doubles. Let me lead,” she readied another arrow. Levi nodded. The outside of Burnout was the most vulnerable spot you could be at. Isa crouched behind a rock, staring across the way. Levi wasted no time and pulled out his Sniper to scout out their surroundings.  _ Dreaded venture, _ Isa noted. A Gambit weapon.

“Inside,” he whispered, sights turned to the middle of the arena.

Isa nodded, “How good are you with that bad boy?”

“I manage.”

“If I lure them out can you get a shot on one of them?” Levi shrugged and Isa groaned. She made her way towards the middle, bow at the ready. A shot rang out, and she flinched. But it wasn’t aimed at her. Spinning around, the Warlock was down and their friend was charging. Isa let her arrow go, and jumped back to avoid the angry Titan. 

A Hand Cannon shot rang out, and a bullet bounced off the Titan’s armor. Isa made it back to Levi, grabbed his arm, and ran. “Fuck Titans. All they’re good at is shoulder charging.”

Levi laughed, and there was a slight familiarity in the sound. 

Levi was a damn good shot. He was quicker on his feet than most Warlocks, but he for sure had the intelligence of one. He memorized the arena throughout the first match. Starlight took the loss for that one. Isa got out first, a shotgun shot to the side. The Titan cocked his gun, and shot again, taking out Levi right after.

But now it was 3 to 3.

Levi’s helmet smashed against a corner rock. His helmet cracked, and he was down. The Arc-charged Titan looked for Isa next, who had fled. Ace was held tight in her hands and her back was flush against a wall.  _ He’s carrying her, _ is all Isa could think. She didn’t have enough energy to summon her Staff, and she was banking on Levi’s Nova Warp to take them out. 

Arc energy flooded through the corridor Isa was hiding in. The Titan was close. She stuck a grenade to the wall and ran in the opposite direction of the Arc wave. Close behind her, the grenade exploded.  _ Shit _ , she thought. She tripped, and let out a shriek. It was all over. The Titan was too close, even if she got up now he was faster. She curled into herself, ready to take defeat.

“Get your ass up.”

Isa blinked. Levi was in front of her. And they were surrounded by a Titan bubble. But he was a Warlock, wasn’t he? Outside the bubble, the opposing Titan stopped and just stared. He knew something was off too.

“Get. Up. Isa,” his voice was a growl now, low and deep. More recognizable.

“...Dri-?”

“GO.”

Isa booked it, and the bubble went down. Shots rang out behind her, but she didn’t look back. Turning the corner, she literally ran into the opposing Warlock, dropping Ace in the process. The Warlock pointed a Pulse Rifle at her and pulled the trigger.

At least it wasn’t a Titan.

Before Team Starlight had a chance to get situated, Shaxx was in their ready room. He towered over them, hands on his hips. “Guardians. You have some explaining that needs done.”

Isa clicked off her helmet. Sweat dripped down her face and a fresh bruise lingered on her cheek, “Shaxx I-”

“She didn’t do anything,” his voice was changed again. It was higher pitched, smoother even. “I uh… Have more control over Void than a lot of Guardians.”

Shaxx presumably stared at ‘Levi’ for a long minute. Isa stared at the floor. ‘Levi’ shrugged, “I can do Nightstalker stuff too.” Without even trying, Shadowshot appeared in his hands. “I’m just… void. Through and through.”

Shaxx let out a sigh, “I understand this is your first time in the Crucible, correct?” ‘Levi’ nodded. “I also understand you have a wide control of the Void.” Another nod. “The Crucible has set rules for a reason, Warlock. Even if you  _ are  _ attuned to other classes, you can only use your Warlock abilities inside the Crucible.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that,” he feigned ignorance. “Sorry.”

Shaxx took the lie, “Normally, you would be banned from Crucible for about a week.” ‘Levi’s’ eyes widened, in ‘fear’. “However, since this is your first broken rule,  _ and _ first Crucible. I will let you go.” ‘Levi’ let out a sigh of relief and Shaxx turned to Isa. “And Hunter,” he pointed at his cheek, “You have a little bruise right here.” Isa muttered a quiet thank you, and Shaxx made his departure. 

‘Levi’ stretched his arms over his head, before clicking off his helmet, “Well. That was fun, huh ‘Gum?” Isa stared at him for a moment, before picking up her helmet and tossing it at him. He caught it with ease, “Hey, hey, hey, Sister. What’s the big de-”

“What’s the big deal?” She snapped. “Are you  _ trying _ to get yourself found out? Because that’s one Hell of a way to do it, Drifter.” All he could do was laugh, which made Isa even angrier. “I get that it’s easier for-”

“C’mon, can’t a man have a little fun?” Isa quickly took off one of her gloves and threw that at Drifter as well. Again, he caught it with ease, “Feisty, aren’t ‘ya? But hear me out, I wanted to ask you somethin’.”

“So you picked during a Crimson Doubles match to ask it?”

“Well, if we’re going off technicalities, it’s after the match.” Isa’s other glove flew at him, hitting him in the shoulder, “Sister. Hear me out. Preferably without throwing somethin’ else at ‘ol Drifter here.”

Gloves off, Isa worked on unbuckling her chest piece. It fell to the floor with a  _ clunk _ , leaving her in an undershirt. “Fine.” Beryl transmatted the chest piece and bow away. 

“So uh,” he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck. “How about we go get drinks? And a dinner too, maybe.”

“Yeah, right, okay. What’s the catch?”

“Nah, uh,” a slight blush was creeping on to his face, and he wouldn’t move his eyes off the ground. “No catch.”   
“ _ Shit, _ ” Isa whispered. “You’re serious?” Her statement came off closer to a question, and he nodded slowly.

After a brief silence, Drifter exhaled, “Ah, no big deal Hotshot, I can take no for an answer.” He cracked his neck, and shook the nervousness from the remainder of his bones. He turned to leave, “I’ll catch ‘ya on the-”

“Drifter.” Isa interrupted. He stopped, and looked over his shoulder. “When were you thinking?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i totally stole this idea from kyberhearts on here i cant make up my own ideas :(


	9. It's Just A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s nothing, she told herself. Just a night out with a friend. It doesn’t matter that he asked during Crimson Days. Just friends. Nothing else.

[I really don’t understand why you’re so worked up about this.]

“Neither do I!” Isa hissed. She fell backwards onto her bed with a long, loud groan.

If Beryl had a face, he’d be smirking. He floated above Isa, [You like him, don’t you?]

Isa pulled the pillow from above her, pressed it against her face, and screamed. After a moment of silence, Beryl spoke again, [So… That’s a yes.] And then Beryl had a pillow thrown at him.

Casual. Nothing fancy. Nothing overly cute. Nothing overly sexy. Just. Casual. But was a hoodie and jeans  _ too _ casual? Isa tugged at the bottom of the hoodie, looking down at it,  _ Maybe too casual, _ she thought. She tossed it over her head and it landed by her bedroom door. This left her in a white t-shirt, a pair of dark jeans, and cherry-colored boots.  _ But now- _

The sound of knocking at the door interrupted her thought. Isa bit her thumb, holding back a nervous scream. She flicked her wrist, mitigating the pain.  _ It’s nothing,  _ she told herself.  _ Just a night out with a friend. It doesn’t matter that he asked during Crimson Days. Just friends. Nothing else. _

[If you don’t answer it I’m letting him in,] Beryl threatened.

“No, no, no need for that,” she made her way to the door and took a breath. Why was she so nervous? She opened the door, and Drifter stood in front of her. If he was nervous, he hid it well. His bandana and duster were gone and instead he had a thin, green zip up hoodie, a black shirt, and his typical black pants and boots.

“Hey,” he smiled. He looked different. This wasn’t ‘Lightbearer Gambit Handler, Drifter’. This was ‘I’m Just a Living Person, Drifter’. “You good to head out, or do you need a sec?”

She was already lost. He was trying for this. His hair and beard were groomed a little. They weren’t his usual level of messy.

Drifter laughed, “You there, Isa?”

“U-um! Y-yeah, sorry. I’m ready,” she turned, saying a goodbye to Beryl, and shut the door.

The bar they ended up in was somewhere in the middle of the City. Knowing anything about Drifter, Isa expected some dingy in the middle of nowhere bar. But this was quite the opposite. It was surrounded by shops and other restaurants, and overall looked nice inside and out. A set of double doors led them inside. It wasn’t too big. The bar itself was located in the center of the room, with chairs lining around it. Opposite of the entrance was a small stage with room for a band. Scattered throughout the room were tables, and close to the wall were booths. The bar wasn’t packed to capacity, but it was busy. The pair chose a booth to the right of the empty stage. 

Drifter had snagged a pair of menus from the bar and slid one to Isa, “Everything’s on me tonight.”

“A-are you sure? Bar tabs rack up quick-”

“Oh, I know,” he laughed. “On me. I’m sure. I was the one that asked anyways, right?”

Shitty bar dinner was ordered and drinks followed; Jack and Coke for Drifter, and a house cocktail with lime and vodka for Isa. After the first few minutes, any awkward tension was gone. Conversation flowed smoothly and easily. At first, it was simple things. Favorite place in the System? Drifter had shrugged,  _ Anywhere that’s not the moon. _ He didn’t have a favorite. Isa’s eyes shined,  _ It’s technically off-limits. The Canyons on Earth, in the North American region. _ She went on to talk about the colors of it all. There were also deep blue rivers running through the Canyons that broke up the monotonous red.

“Sorry,” she laughed awkwardly. “It’s just… Really pretty. And I’d kill to actually go there and not just do a fly by.”

“Nah, you’re fine. It’s a sweet place. Been close to them once way back when.” He went on to talk about his time around the Canyons. It had been awhile, so some details were fuzzy, but Isa’s eyes sparkled the entire time. Drifter’s heart might have flipped once or twice.

Drinks flowed. Comfort levels rose. Questions and stories got more personal. What  _ really _ scares you? Isa sipped her drink and quietly responded,  _ Losing Beryl. If he goes… I’d be next.  _ Drifter nodded,  _ Violence. _ Isa looked confused.

“Yeah, I know,” he finished off his drink. “It’s something all around you Guardians. Hell, Gambit’s full of it. Just seen too many people get caught in crossfires. Too many  _ innocent _ people.” He sighed, being around for a few thousand years really fucks with a person. “I need another drink.”

Neither of them got drunk. Neither of them had planned to. They only drank enough to get a buzz from the alcohol. To open up to each other. To be honest with each other. They accomplished that. Drifter, true to his word, paid their tab. Outside it had become dark and the streets were empty.

“I know this was supposed to be a ‘dinner and drinks’ thing…” Isa played with a bracelet on her wrist, “Would you be against hanging out longer…?”

Drifter slung his arm around her shoulders, “Not much to do, but if you can think of something I won’t say no.”

The pair walked in a comfortable silence, with no direction in mind. Without realizing, Isa was slowly leaning more into Drifter. He, however, noticed and he thanked the universe for the blessing of darkness. A light blush had broken out across his face.

By following the street lights, the pair wound up at an empty park. It wasn’t much. There was a walkway to get around, a few benches, and a fountain in the middle, surrounded by flowers. Isa broke away from Drifter and he shivered at the sudden loss of warmth. She went directly to the fountain and stared at the water, and the moon’s reflection in it. Drifter appeared at her side a moment later.

“Might be a shitty place…” Isa’s voice was soft and quiet. “But it makes everything glow.”

Drifter hummed a soft reply, and turned to the night sky. The moon was nothing but Darkness and disaster. But far out there? It was incredible. Might run into some Darkness, but the sights were unforgettable. He didn’t notice Isa watching him. He didn’t notice her inching closer. He only noticed when her lips met his cheek, and red washed over his face.

Isa immediately backed off, looking back at the fountain. “I’m sorry… You just… You looked cute.” She scrunched into herself, nervousness taking over. She said it.   
Drifter closed his eyes, taking in the moment. And he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He slung his arm over her again, but pulled her close, “Shouldda seen yourself earlier. When you were talking about the Canyons.” Isa leaned into him, closing her eyes.

They both took in the moment. The gentleness of it all. One was a Red War Hero and had killed Uldren Sov by herself. The other was thousands of years Risen and had seen more death and destruction first hand than most Guardians. 

Moments like these didn’t come easy, and they never lasted long enough. There was always  _ something _ happening around the System that needed sorted out. Hive rituals. Savathun. Riven. Protecting the City. Anything involving the Shore.  _ The Almighty.  _ The Rouge Lightbearer? He had his own things to worry about. Gambit. The Nine. The Man with the Golden Gun. The Shadows.  _ The Next Collapse. _

But in this moment, nothing mattered.


	10. Search and Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The signal is coming from the Ghost of the Hunter, Keaton. Your missing fireteam member.” Ikora folded her hands in front of her, “We wanted you two to be aware of this as soon as we figured it out.”

“Portal’s open,” anyone could hear the sick joy in Drifter’s voice. “Go get ‘em.”

Isa smiled, calling out over comms, “Dibs!”

A Titan groaned, “Not if I’m there first.”

Isa took the challenge, shooting a Vandal in the face and hopping over its lifeless body. She landed on the head of another, and she bounced off of him, “Thanks dude!” She laughed. The Titan was nowhere in sight, but the portal was. The Primeval was the only thing standing between Isa and Taken Essence. She tossed a grenade towards the far end of the platform, gaining the Primeval’s attention. Now that he wasn’t an issue, she made her way to the portal, and hopped in.

“Get ‘em, Doll,” Drifter laughed. The words only reached Isa’s ears, and she blushed hard. It had only been a few days since their ‘date’, and while nothing was official, Drifter kept finding new pet names. Doll, was just the latest of many.

“ _ Ihateyousomuch, _ ” she hissed. Isa made her way to the top of a dilapidated building, keeping low to avoid attention. There were two Guardians on the bank trying to clear it. A third was hiding with 15 motes. The fourth was missing, probably searching for her. 

_ [Isa,] _ Beryl broke into their private line.

_ Not the time,  _ she replied. Arc danced around her, forming her beloved Staff. She hopped off the building, and headed towards the bank.

_ [Zavala needs you. Now.] _

The opposing Hunter drew Shadowshot, in an attempt to stop her. Isa rolled, dodging it.  _ Not. The. Time. _ She ran at the Hunter, hitting him with the Staff and knocking him out. She started towards the Warlock, who had started backing up. She was a Sniper. 

_ [Isa it’s ser-] _

_ Beryl, I don’t care. _ She jumped over a sniper shot, and came around the right side of the Warlock. The Warlock attacked with a Handheld Supernova, which knocked Isa back. She shook the pain from her head, and stared ahead.

_ [It’s Keaton.] _

The Hunter froze,  _ What? _ The Warlock shot her twice, and Isa was down.

“Your Invader’s back with one kill,” Drifter announced to her team.

Isa was still frozen in place.  _ What do you- Beryl, get me out of here. To the Tower. _

Aura was already there when Isa broke into the meeting room. Zavala and Ikora stood at the far end of a table, and Isa took a spot next to Aura. Aura took her hand.

“Thank you both for coming so quickly,” Ikora started. “I’ll cut right to the point. We received a distress signal from a Ghost not too long ago. It took a little bit, but we determined its location as well as code.”

Zavala cleared his throat, “Each Ghost that comes through, at some point or another, gets added to our ever growing list. Each has their own number, and that then corresponds to a Guardian.”

“The signal is coming from the Ghost of the Hunter, Keaton. Your missing fireteam member.” Ikora folded her hands in front of her, “We wanted you two to be aware of this as soon as we figured it out.”

Isa hand tightened around her leaders’. Aura took a breath, taking in the situation. “What can we do?”

“At the moment, we are getting together a Fireteam to respond,” Zavala took over. “I can personally assure you we will have the best looking for Keaton.”

Aura straightened themself and looked directly at Zavala, “Commander, thank you. However, seeing as this is  _ our _ Fireteam member,  _ our _ friend, I believe we need to be involved in the response.” Isa glanced at Aura, and Aura replied with a smile. “Myself and Isabelle are far from the best, we acknowledge that. We also understand your hesitance to keep us from the response, as emotions can run high in these situations.”

“Keaton is an exceptional Hunter, anyone can see that. If his Ghost is sending a distress signal, something is  _ very _ wrong. He needs us, his team, more than ever. And I think I speak for both myself and for Isabelle when I say this; we don’t want to hear what happened to him secondhand.”

That is why Aura was the leader of Fireteam Starfire. They held themself, and kept their calm in otherwise emotional situations. Isa was holding back tears, and Keaton was quick to jump to conclusions and in turn, actions. Aura was the levelheaded leader that kept the team functioning. 

Ikora smiled throughout Aura’s entire request, openly proud of her Warlock. She turned to the Commander with a nod. Zavala looked between the Warlock and Hunter for a moment before speaking.

“It seems that the three of you are a close Fireteam. It’s rare to see a team this close, and I commend that.” He nodded, “I agree. Keaton needs his team. I will send your Ghosts the approximate coordinates of the signal.”

Aura squeezed Isa’s hand, “Thank you, Commander.”

“However. I am not sending you completely alone. I’m going to send a pair of medics with you in a separate ship in case of any immediate harm to Keaton. They will not land until you have found him, and the area is safe.”

“Commander, that sounds excellent,” she bowed slightly. “Thank you for hearing us out, as well as letting us go.”

[Can you  _ please _ answer him,] Beryl sighed.

The pair of jumpships were speeding through the skies. Their destination was somewhere on the Moon. Isa ignored Beryl, opting to reply to Aura instead, “Three minutes until we’re overhead.”

“Understood. I’m going to try to make contact with Keaton or Ghost.”

“Alright,” Isa slouched back in her chair, activating the autopilot. She hadn’t stopped shaking since she left the Gambit arena. Keaton was in trouble. Big trouble if his Ghost was sending a distress signal. She couldn’t lose someone else. Not this soon. Her hands rubbed her eyes, then moved to her temples, and Beryl let out a cough. 

[Isa. The Drifter has been bombarding you with messages. Will you  _ please _ answer him.]

“Just… I dunno, tell him something important came up,” she stared at her dashboard. She could only focus on so much at once. Keaton was alive but in danger. Drifter was… Well… There was a chance there that she could be ruining. But  _ Keaton needs help. _

Beryl sighed, [Fine. 30 seconds until transmat.]

[30 seconds,] Lychee confirmed.

They were paired up from the start. Two Hunters, ready to take on the world. They were a dangerous duo. The first week they were together, they pranked Zavala. Cayde could barely control his laughter, and Ikora was holding a small smile. Zavala, however, was not pleased with his  _ entire _ office being covered in tinfoil. How the duo even managed that, he didn’t quite understand. They tried to get Cayde. They really did. But they never succeeded. 

_ And we never will, _ Isa sighed.

“You ready, Isa?” Aura asked.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

The Moon sucks. Period. Too many Hive, too many Vex, too many demons. It was too easy to get lost in the shadows. Aura and Isa both groaned when their feet hit the dusty surface. It was cold, and it always felt like someone was right behind you.

Lychee hovered in Aura’s hand glancing around, [The coordinates aren’t far from here.]

“Perfect,” Aura smiled, and patted her shell. “Let’s go save our teammate, yeah?” Isa nodded a reply, and they started North.

They were in a relatively unmarked section of the Moon. Guardians have been here, sure, but not extensively. Vex and Hive seemed to avoid it as well, making the search for Keaton unnerving. A black shadow moved in the team’s peripherals and they quickly ducked behind a rock. Peeking out from behind it, they realized there were more than just the one. It was a group of Taken.

“Taken aren’t on the Moon… Are they?” Isa asked.

Aura pressed a finger to her lips, signaling quiet. Isa nodded. Taken don’t inhabit the Moon. There have been a few instances of one or two appearing, but not a large group. It seemed as if they had made this uninhabited spot their own, possibly explaining the appearances of single Taken in the known sectors. Once the Taken were out of sight, Aura finally spoke, “I… Suppose, where there’s constant Darkness… Taken are to follow. Lychee, you got that right? … “Send it Zavala’s and Ikora’s way. They can send it to Eris later.”

Isa’s hand tightened around Ace, “Do you think they got Keaton?”

“It’s a possibility.”

“We need to follow them,” Isa stood from her crouched position. “They could lead us right to him.”

“Or,” Aura followed, placing a hand on her shoulder, “They could lead us straight into a deathtrap.” She stared at her teammate. There was a glimmer of determination in her eyes. If Aura wouldn’t go, she would go alone anyways. “Lychee. Let the Vanguard know we plan to follow the Taken. Send them exact coordinates of our current location in case anything happens.”

Lychee and Beryl gasped at the same time, [Ghost.]

Hidden amongst debris was Keaton’s Ghost. He was still broadcasting a distress signal, but he was near shut-down. Aura picked him up gently, “Thank the Traveler.” Examining the Ghost revealed deep cracks. “Hopefully nothing deeper in the little guy got damaged,” she said. 

Lychee cast a pink light over him and examined him. For a long moment, no one spoke. Lychee’s light faded, [He’ll be okay. His internal logs don’t show any major damage, besides the cracks in his shell.] Isa and Aura both let out a sigh of relief. [He’s in a powered down mode so his Light can’t be actively tracked by any enemies. That plus hiding in debris helped him out a lot, considering all the Taken around.]

“Can we wake him up?” Isa asked.

Aura brushed a hand against Ghosts’ shell, “Usually, yes. But I don’t know if it would be a good idea or not, considering the cracks.”

[She mainly means he’d be more susceptible to damage,” Lychee explained. She cast out her light once again, scanning the Ghost. 

Down the hall was a scream that caught everyone's attention. Lychee’s cast light vanished, then her and Beryl dissipated into Light. The scream echoed off the walls, becoming more distorted with time and distance. A shudder crept up Isa’s spine, and Aura placed Ghost in her bag.

Aura readied her bow, “That wasn’t Taken.”

Isa looked at her, “Wha- How do you know? What if it’s a new-”

“Isa. It was a human.”

They rushed forward, ready to do anything to get to their teammate. Aura took the first shot, letting an arrow fly into a gathering of Taken. It embedded itself in the forehead of one, and then exploded, taking out another in the process. Isa followed by sliding directly underneath a Taken and shooting it from below. Quick to her feet, she stabbed another with her knife. 

A Taken behind Isa got shot, and it’s arrow exploded. Isa was blown to the floor and disorientated. The next thing she felt was cool Void behind her. Aura had thrown a Void grenade to protect her teammate, and hopefully give her time to recuperate. Isa shook the confusion from her head, and went back to the fight.

“Sorry, Isa!” The sound of a Submachine Gun rang out; Aura had switched.

“We’re good!” Isa laughed.

Slowly but surely the pair made their way through the corridors of the Moon. Taken were  _ everywhere _ . It seemed like there were more in this small area than in the entire EDZ. Up ahead the corridor split off and went into another room. The Taken waves seemed to slow, maybe the worst was over?   
Turning the corner into the room, Isa screamed, “KEATON.”

He was tied to a platform made of Moon rock. His wrists and ankles were bound, and he looked like he was drugged. He was loopy, and his eyes weren’t green. His eyes were yellow. Isa broke whatever chains and ropes were binding him, then held his face, “Keaton. Can you hear me?” His eyelids fluttered, and a gurgled noise came out of his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time to put my boy Keaton in the story and I am excite


	11. Late Night Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keaton's okay. Isa needs food after her long mission. And that's exactly what she does. She goes to get dinner at a bar down the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw; sexual assault  
> its not too graphic or anything but its here anyways just to be safe!!

Zavala had advised Aura and Isa to go get some rest. He assured them that he and Ikora would let them know of anything that happened. Of course, they didn’t listen. They sat, side-by-side, in the medical bay of the Tower. Isa’s leg bounced uncontrollably. Aura held on to her hand, staring off into the distance. They needed to be there. They needed to hear what happened. A Warlock in all white stepped out and looked at the two.

“You’re Keaton’s teammates, yes?” She asked. 

Isa would’ve flown out of her seat if Aura hadn’t set her hand on her knee. “Yes, my name is Aura-1. This is Isabelle.”

“Aura, Isabelle. My name is Kaitlyn, I’m one of the medics here in the Tower.” She took a breath and examined the teammates. “As originally suspected, Keaton was injected with something akin to Fallen Ether. It’s something we have dealt with before, luckily. At the moment, we are positive he will recover, especially when his Ghost is up and about.”

Isa slept for 12 hours without bothering to change out of her armor. She had spent 12 hours on the Moon, which is the equivalent of two Earth weeks. During missions, Ghosts use their Light so Guardians don’t have to worry about sleeping. They can use all their time for their missions.This was always the hardest part about off-world missions. Time gets lost. Easily.

When she woke up, she laid there unmoving.  _ He’s okay, _ was all she could think. Beryl nestled against her. She wanted nothing more than to go right back to sleep. Her body, however, had other needs. Isa’s stomach growled loud enough to wake a sleeping city. Food. Food was a thing people needed to survive. Even Guardians needed it, despite being able to be  _ brought back from the dead. _ She shuffled out of her armor letting it all fall to the floor and instead donned an oversized sweatshirt and leggings. Her hair was standing on its ends, and she brushed it down with her hands. Did she care that she was going out like this? No. Not at all. She was hungry, and she wasn’t cooking. 

She ended up at a small bar by her apartment. It wasn’t busy at all. A group of people played poker in the back, there were two people at the bar, and another group took up tables in the front. Isa took a seat at the bar, glancing over a menu. 

“Hey ‘Hun,” the bartender smiled at her. “How you doing?”

“Surviving,” she let out a strained laugh. She ordered dinner, some slider platter. She didn’t care what it was, she just needed food. She sipped on a lemonade, made in house. 

Too short of time passed before someone sat down next to her, “Hey, Mel, one on me and the Lady here.” If someone were to look up smug in a dictionary, you would get a picture of this man. He looked Isa up and down, “Hey Sweetheart, name’s Kai.”

“Not interested,” she stared forward, her mind thinking of the sliders she was destined to eat.

“Aww, turning a man down before he even has a chance? Lil harsh, ain’t it?”

“No. I’m not interested. I’m just here for dinner.”

“Perfect! I’ll join you,” he threw his arm around her, “And I’ll even-”

In the blink of an eye, Isa was on her feet. She grabbed his arm, and threw him to the ground. She towered over him, “Touch me again. I fucking dare you.” The bar went silent, and all eyes were on her. She stood still for a moment before turning and taking her seat again. 

The man stood, “What a bitch. Tryn’a do something nice.”

Isa took to ignoring the crybaby. Instead, she was productive and people watched. There was a man and woman at the bar with her. The woman, noticed her glance, smiled. She wasn’t a Guardian.  _ Could be a teacher, _ Isa thought. The man next to her sighed, placing his head down on the bartop. The woman rubbed his back.  _ Teacher couple maybe? _ The man was bald and also not a Guardian. His entire appearance gave off more of a businessman vibe, however.

The bartender returned to her with her sliders and another lemonade. “Thank you,” Isa smiled. She took a bite. They weren’t anything spectacular. Just another slider. But it was food. During chewing, she continued watching. The group at the front of the bar had left, which only left the poker group in the back. It was a mix of Guardians and non-Guardians. Six people. Four of the six looked sketchy, the other two had their backs to her, so she couldn’t judge.

Kai came back, “Maybe you’re in a better mood now.”

“My answer is no,” she took another bite of food. Her stomach was in Heaven, even if the taste was only mediocre. The rest of her, however, wished she was dead and not dealing with this.

He picked a fry off her plate and winked, “C’mon. Not even a chance?”

She glared at him. How dare he take one of  _ her _ fries that  _ she _ was paying for. “I didn’t think someone’s chances of a date could go below zero. But here you are.” Isa noticed someone from the poker group watching the disaster unfold.  _ Hopefully he’s having a good time here. _ …  _ I’m not. _

Kai sighed, “Fine.” He walked two steps away, before coming back to Isa with a smirk, “Why don’tcha show  _ everyone _ what’s going on under there?” Just as quickly as Isa was earlier, Kai was behind her in a second, pinning her against the bartop. He pulled the bottom of her sweatshirt above her head, and it dropped to the floor. 

Isa screamed, equal parts anger and humiliation. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to cover up whatever parts of her body she could. Luckily, she had kept a bra on, but that didn’t hide the welts and bruises covering her torso.

Everything happened so quickly that Isa didn’t notice the poker players had been on alert. One of them was already on Kai. He held him with his arms around his back. Another member was with Isa, wrapping his jacket around her. A third member came up and punched Kai. A fourth ended up holding  _ him _ back. Neither of the two men gave into whoever was holding them, and they broke out, a fight ensuing. Isa was rushed to a back room with the bartender and the member that was with her stood outside the door. 

“‘Hun, are you okay?” The bartender filled a glass with cold water, handing it to her. She took it and sipped it, then shook her head.

“I just wanted dinner,” she whispered. She nestled into the jacket around her, taking all its warmth. It smelled like evergreen trees, and it was oddly soothing.

After far too long, Isa emerged from the back room. The bar looked like a disaster, and the bartender just sighed. Isa made her way to her original seat, to pick up her sweatshirt. She shuddered at the spot and quickly grabbed the sweatshirt and walked away. She tossed it over herself, and placed the borrowed jacket on the bartop in hopes it would find its way back to its owner. 

One of the doors flew open and one of the poker members spoke, “Hey D. Now’s not a-”

“Shut it,” a deep and rough voice filled Isa’s ears. It was Drifter. And he was mad. His eyes scanned the area, and they landed on Isa. He started towards her, “What the hell.”

“Drifter I-”

“Nah, nah, none of that,” he held up a finger. “First. ‘Ya go running off. Whatever,” another finger. “Second, you send this generic ‘something came up’ message,” a third finger was held up. “Then, you go and ignore ol’ Drifter for two weeks. Just plain silence.” His eyes bore into Isa’s. Her cheeks had tears running down them, and she kept trying to explain herself. Drifter just wouldn’t let her talk, “Now here you are. In the middle of a shitshow in the middle of the night.”

“Hey man,” the one who gave Isa his jacket came between them, “Fuck outta here.”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“Who the  _ hell _ do you think you are,” Isa’s defender moved closer to Drifter. “Comin’ in here. Screaming at her. After she’s-”

“Stop,” Isa’s voice was soft, and quivered.

“-already dealt with enough.”

“What?” Drifter’s voice dropped significantly, and a hint of concern was thrown into it.

Isa’s defender crossed his arms, “I said, she’s dealt with enough tonight. She doesn’t need you yelling at her.” Drifter’s face had concern written all over it now, and the man noticed, “Oh, so now you’re all concerned-”

“Please,” Isa’s whisper went unheard.

“-about her. Not when you walked in and saw the disaster the place is?” Drifter stayed silent. The man loosened up, “Yeah. That’s what I thought.” He turned to Isa, “Let’s get you out of here, yeah? I’ll even get Mel to walk if you want her.”

Beryl was confused, to say the least, when the front door opened and Isa was with another man.  _ [Wasn’t she just head over heels about Drifter?]  _ He thought. Isa said a quiet goodbye, and shut the door behind her. She leaned against it, and slowly slid down the door until she was sitting. Something was wrong here. [Are… You okay?]

Isa shook her head. Nothing was okay. None of it. Not the assault. Not Drifter screaming at her. Not the look he had when her defender called him out. Nothing was okay.

Beryl nestled against her neck, emitting a quiet hum, [Do you want to talk about it?]

She shook her head again. She just wanted this night to be over with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops its been a month since ive updated this and i havent really written much BUT HERE WE GO. lifes really stupid rn so sorry for the sporadic updates!!


	12. Peace Offering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ramen always makes everything better," he laughed. And who would argue with that? Noodles and warm broth, veggies and tasty meats. Let's just hope he was right.

Neither of them were quite sure what they were. Best friends? Couple to be? Best friends with benefits? Who knows. Not them for sure. Regardless, they laid intertwined on a soft, comforting mattress, under the warmth of a comforter. He nipped at her neck, and a laugh rumbled through his body when she squeaked in surprise. 

It was far from the first time they spent a night together. His place was roomier, and had an  _ much _ better bed. Plus, it had the best view in the Tower. He pulled her flush against him, resting his chin on the top of her head. His arm was draped over her waist, his thumb lightly tracing over her stomach. 

He wasn’t always soft and gentle. She’s seen his bad side. The side where his voice drops, and he becomes  _ scary. _ He knew how to fight. Hell, he could  _ easily _ crush her in this moment. She’s seen him absolutely obliterate Fallen before. She knows what he’s capable of.

The pair grew silent, anxiousness falling over her instead.

“You know it’ll all be fine,” he spoke. “Always is, ain’t it?”

She nodded, and proceeded to turn to nestle against his chest. Except she knew the truth. It wouldn’t be fine. She basked in the warmth. The comfort. Everything he gave off. Even if it was only her imagination, he was still here.

He was still  _ here. _

But he wasn’t. She awoke alone, cold, and uncomfortable. Her body was still recovering from the mission to save Keaton. Her mind was trying to recover from the previous night. Isa pulled her blanket around herself tighter, begging for warmth.  _ Cayde would’ve never let it happen, _ she thought.

She sighed,  _ And he wouldn’t’ve yelled about it…, _ she finished. Glancing at the clock revealed it was 2pm. Beryl was nowhere in sight, and he wasn’t in her thoughts at all. Maybe he knew? Blanket tight around her, she made her way to her door. A pair of voices grew louder the closer she got. One was Beryl for sure, his metallic voice was hard to miss. The other was…  _ Oh hell no. _

Her bedroom door flew open, and the view into the living room confirmed her suspicions. Beryl was flying around, doing whatever to keep himself preoccupied. And he was talking to  _ him _ . Drifter. That asshole from last night. The two stopped their conversation, and looked to Isa.

[Isa, you’re-]

“Don’t you have Gambit to be running?,” she cut off Beryl, glaring daggers at Drifter. His expression was something she hadn’t seen before. On him, anyways. “And you,” her attention turned to Beryl, “Why the hell did you let him in?”

Beryl seemed taken aback, [Weren’t you just head over heels for-]

Drifter raised a hand, stopping the Ghost, “Whatever she felt. She doesn’t anymore, because  _ I _ screwed up. Bad.” He looked towards Isa. The bags under his eyes looked more prominent, and that expression was still there. Sadness? A hint of sympathy? His voice was off too. He sounded softer and less gritty.

“Wanted to apologize,” he continued. “Sure, could’ve just sent a message your way, but where’s the sincerity in that? I expected hostility. Heh. If I’m honest, I expected you to completely wreck me like you do with everything in Gambit.”

The room fell into silence as Isa took in his words.  _ Sincerity. _ Was that what it was? Drifter could make himself hard to read and he did it on purpose. This didn’t feel forced. Everything felt natural. From the softness in his voice, to the tiny spark that flashed in his eyes, he felt  _ regret. _

“I’m sorry, Isabelle. Mean that.” He summoned his Ghost, and in a flash of a blue they were gone.

Beryl’s eye flicked to Isa, [Was… All that about last night?]

She sighed, “It’s… It’s a long story.”

  
  


Cayde’s picture was hung up in the ramen shop. It was the picture of him, with his dorky grin and a thumbs up. Isa smiled sadly at it as she left, carrying a bag of takeout.  _ Ramen makes everything better! _ He used to laugh.

_ Let’s hope he’s right, _ Isa thought, her grip tightening on the bag. Now was the perfect time to try, anyways. The Gambit handler would be closing the gates soon. Isa took a deep breath before she made her way towards the Annex. The halls were empty, and her footsteps echoed. 

When she turned into the hall leading to the “Gambit Room,” Drifter was right there, closing the gate. Just like she knew he would. He had frozen up upon seeing her and the two stood there with metal bars keeping them apart.

Drifter shook out of his trance, “Sorry. Closin’ for the night, hotshot.”

“I.. Uh..,” Isa stumbled over her words, getting more frustrated with herself at every attempt to speak. Eventually, she raised the bag, “I bought you dinner.”

He cocked an eyebrow, “Didn’t think I’d be seeing you any time soon.”

“Well you… You took off earlier.” She sighed, “Someone always told me ramen made everything better, and… I guess it’s a sort of peace offering?”

A smile crept on to Drifter’s face, “Can’t argue that logic.” He glanced behind him, “Uh.. Mind giving me a few? Got some things I gotta finish.”

They ended up on the Derelict, in the snow floored room, inside Drifter’s small bunker. Isa hadn’t been here since he had sent her on a hunt through the EDZ. Nothing had really changed since then either.

“Take a seat where you’d like,” he gestured around his small room. “‘Scuse the mess. Don’t get visitors much.”

She took a seat on the small cot he called his bed, placing their dinner beside her, “Doesn’t bother you when Reckoners come snooping?”

He laughed and took a seat, leaning against his workbench, “They don’t see much. Typically lock the place up when that’s all going on. You mean to tell me you’ve never taken a peek?”

Isa shook her head, digging a container from the bag and hanging it to him, “No, I’ve never wanted to snoop. Never really felt right, you know?”

Drifter popped the lid off his container and the smell of ramen began wafting through the air, “Appreciate it. Everyone wants to know what’s going on with ol’ Drifter.”

Isa followed suit, taking a bunch of noodles and putting them into her mouth, “Can’t blame them. She says a lot of stuff-”

“What did you just say?” Any softness he had in his voice was once again gone. His face had a mixture of worry, fear, and confusion. His hands tensed around his bowl.”

“I… Well… Whoever’s in the Ascendant Plane, I guess.” Isa set her bowl next to her, confused as to why this was such a big deal. “She talks a lot. Well, maybe not a lot. But. A lot of the stuff is kinda cryptic? And I’m assuming she's talking about you every time she mentions ‘Dredgen’ since… You know.” She looked him over. He was tense, and he was trying his hardest not to show it. His knuckles were turning white around his bowl, and his face seemed to be a shade lighter than usual. 

“I don’t know why this is such a big deal? I mean… She said it - The Reckoning, was a joint thing between you guys or whatever.”

He nearly tossed his bowl on his bench, and got up. Within a second, Drifter had his hands gripping Isa’s shoulders tightly, but not enough to hurt her. “I don’t want you getting into all that. I’ve dragged you into enough of my own business. You don’t need this too.”

“Drifter I don’t-”

“They’re supposed to  _ watch _ . They don’t get involved. Least they’re not supposed to.” He dropped his head and sighed. The grip on Isa’s shoulders lightened to almost nothing. “Please,” his voice had dropped near a whisper, and he looked back up to Isa. “Please don’t listen to her and her antics. Just ignore her.”


End file.
